Wire wrapping device incorporating releasable bit locking mechanism controlled by insertion depth of terminal

Abstract

Several wire wrapping device embodiments are disclosed, each of which incorporates a releasable bit-locking mechanism associated with the bit-sleeve assembly thereof. The locking mechanism is mounted on the stationary sleeve of the device, and is actuated to responsively effect the release of the bit for rotation, prior to each successive wire wrap operation, only upon a terminal to be wire wrapped being inserted to a predetermined, but adjustable, depth within a terminal-receiving recess formed in the forward end of the bit. Such a mode of operation insures that each wire wrap is accurately positioned on each successive terminal. The bit-locking mechanism also may be optionally employed to responsively actuate an associated switch to either directly, or conditionally (i.e., in conjunction with the actuation of a power source-connected trigger switch), effect the energization of the drive motor coupled to the bit of a wire wrapping device.

I claim: 
     
       1. A wire wrapping device for wrapping a conductive wire around and in intimate contact with an electrical terminal at a controllable location therealong, said device comprising; a main housing for said device;   actuable drive means mounted within said housing;   stationary sleeve means secured to said housing, and having an opening extending through the wall thereof;   bit means mounted within said sleeve means, and including a longitudinally disposed, rotatable cylindrical member adapted to be operably driven by said drive means, the forward end of said cylindrical member forming a terminal-receiving recess, the length of which is controlled by a bit means base-defining member that is spring-biased and displaceable in the axial direction over at least a predetermined distance within said cylindrical member, said latter member also including a longitudinally extending slot formed in the wall thereof, and positioned to selectively communicate with the opening in said sleeve means, and   releasable locking means, including an actuably displaceable locking member, supported on said sleeve means, said locking member being adapted to have a portion thereof continuously positioned within the opening of said sleeve means, and another portion thereof selectively positioned within the slot of said cylindrical member, to lock the latter to the sleeve means, the actuable displacement of said locking member out of the cylindrical member slot being dependent on, and responsive to, a terminal to be wire wrapped being inserted within the terminal-receiving recess of said cylindrical member to a depth that causes the associated spring-biased, base-defining member to be displaced said predetermined distance.   
     
     
       2. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said drive means includes trigger-actuated energizing switch means, and wherein said bit-means base-defining member comprises an elongated rod-shaped plunger, with a cam portion located therealong to effect the displacement of said locking member out of the slot of said cylindrical member upon said plunger being displaced said predetermined distance. 
     
     
       3. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 1 further including switch means for at least in part enabling said drive means, said switch means being positioned so as to be responsively actuated by the insertion of a terminal within said cylindrical member to a depth that causes the associated base-defining member to be displaced said predetermined distance. 
     
     
       4. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 2 further comprising an adjustable locking member housing secured to the outer wall of said sleeve means, said housing member having a laterally extending boss formed with an aperture adapted to receive and guide the reciprocally displaceable locking member. 
     
     
       5. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said locking means further includes spring means associated with said locking member and said sleeve means, said spring means being adapted to cooperate with said plunger to displace said locking member out of engagement with the slot in said cylindrical member, and to maintain said locking member in such a dis-engaged position until a downward force is externally imparted against said locking member sufficient to overcome the then opposed biasing force exerted thereagainst by said spring means, said overcoming force causing said locking member to again be re-positioned in engagement with the slot of said cylindrical member, at which time said spring means produces no displaceable biasing force against said locking member. 
     
     
       6. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said locking means further includes spring means associated with said locking member for urging the latter, after having been displaced out of engagement with said cylindrical member slot by said plunger, back into engagement with said slot each time, and upon said slot being brought into alignment with said sleeve means opening, while said cylindrical member is in a quiescent state. 
     
     
       7. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said bit means further has a longitudinally disposed groove formed in the outer wall thereof, said groove extending rearwardly a predetermined distance from the terminal-receiving end of said bit means so as to receive a section of wire to be wire wrapped when said bit is rotatably mounted in a wire wrapping device, and wherein said bit means additionally has at least one wire-receiving notch formed in the forward terminal-receiving peripheral end thereof. 
     
     
       8. A wire wrapping device for wrapping a conductive wire around and in intimate contact with an electrical terminal at a controllable location therealong, said device comprising: a main housing for said device;   actuable drive means mounted within said housing;   stationary sleeve means secured to said housing, and having a longitudinally disposed opening extending through the wall thereof, and located along an intermediate region thereof;   rotatable bit means mounted within said sleeve means, and operably driven by said drive means, said bit means having an axially disposed bore which defines, in part, a terminal-receiving recess, the axial length of which is variable, said bit means further including a longitudinally extending slot formed in the wall thereof, and positioned to be selectively aligned with the opening within said sleeve means;   resiliently biased plunger means, including a cam portion, axially mounted within the bore of said bit means, and being displaceable axially over at least a predetermined distance relative thereto, the forward end of said plunger means also defining the base of said terminal-receiving recess and, thus, determining the axial length thereof, and   releasable locking means, including an actuably displaceable locking member, supported on said sleeve means, said locking member being adapted to have a portion thereof continuously positioned within the opening of said sleeve means, and another portion thereof, having a cam-follower surface, selectively positioned within the slot of said bit means, to lock the latter to the sleeve means, the release of said bit means for rotation being dependent on, and responsive to, a terminal to be wire wrapped being inserted within said bit means receiving recess to a depth that causes said plunger means to be longitudinally displaced said predetermined distance relative to said bit means, said displacement causing the cam portion of said plunger means to engage and displace the cam-follower surface of said locking member sufficiently to effect the displacement of the latter out of said bit means slot.   
     
     
       9. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 8 further comprising an adjustable locking member housing secured to the outer wall of said sleeve means, said housing member having a laterally extending boss formed with an aperture adapted to receive and guide the reciprocally displaceable locking member. 
     
     
       10. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 8 wherein said locking means further includes spring means associated with said locking member and said sleeve means, said spring means being adapted to cooperate with said plunger means to displace said locking member out of engagement with the slot in said bit means, and to maintain said locking member in such a dis-engaged position until a downward force is externally imparted against said locking member sufficient to overcome the then opposed biasing force exerted thereagainst by said spring means, said overcoming force causing said locking member to again be re-positioned in in engagement with the slot of said bit means, at which time said spring means produces no displaceable biasing force against said locking member. 
     
     
       11. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 10 wherein said plunger means comprises an elongated rod-shaped plunger, with said cam portion forming an integral part thereof, defined by at least two offset bends, and being key-way guided within the slot of said bit means. 
     
     
       12. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 10 wherein said plunger means comprises an elongated, axially disposed, rod-shaped plunger, with said cam portion comprising a member engaging the inner end of said plunger, and being key-way guided within the slot of said bit means. 
     
     
       13. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 8 wherein said locking member is formed with a mutually disposed pair of undercut shoulders that respectively merge into different inwardly and downwardly inclined sidewalls which, in turn, respectively terminate in different lower arcuate regions, and wherein said locking member is mounted between two adjacent turns of a helically wound spring, said spring being coaxially positioned on said sleeve means, with the two adjacent turns of said spring normally being respectively nested within said undercut shoulders of said locking member, but with said turns being dislodged from said shoulders and compressively biased against and moved along different ones of said inclined sidewalls of said locking member until said turns are each nested within a locking member with the cam-follower surface within the slot of said bit means after each wire wrap operation. 
     
     
       14. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 8 further including switch means positioned so as to be responsively actuated by the displacement of said locking member out of the slot of said bit means. 
     
     
       15. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 14 wherein said actuable switch means is serially connected in the power source circuit of said device for at least in part effecting the energization of said drive means. 
     
     
       16. A wire wrapping device comprising: a main housing for said device;   actuable drive means mounted within said housing;   stationary sleeve means secured to said housing;   controllably driven rotatable bit means mounted within said sleeve means, said bit means defining a terminal-receiving recess formed in the forward end thereof, with said recess further being defined by a resiliently biased and axially displaceable base, and   locking means, releasably responsive to a predetermined displacement of said terminal-receiving base, for preventing the rotation of said bit means until a terminal to be wire-wrapped has been inserted to a predetermined depth within the receiving recess of said bit means, said conditionally inserted terminal responsively causing the predetermined displacement of said terminal-receiving base so as to then effect the release of said bit means for rotation.   
     
     
       17. A wire wrapping device in accordance with claim 16 wherein said locking means further includes reset means to automatically re-lock said bit means from rotation after each wire wrapped terminal has been withdrawn from said receiving recess of said bit means. 
     
     
       18. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly adapted for use as a detachable part of a composite wire wrapping device, said assembly comprising: stationary sleeve means;   bit means mounted within said sleeve means, and adapted to be rotatably driven, said bit means defining a terminal-receiving recess formed in the forward end thereof, with said recess further being defined by a resiliently biased and axially displaceable base, and   locking means, releasably responsive to a predetermined displacement of said terminal-receiving base, for preventing the rotation of said bit means until a terminal to be wire-wrapped has been inserted to a predetermined depth within the receiving recess of said bit means, said conditionally inserted terminal responsively causing the predetermined displacement of said terminal-receiving base so as to then effect the release of said bit means for rotation.   
     
     
       19. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 18 wherein said locking means further includes reset means to automatically re-lock said bit means from rotation after each wire wrapped terminal has been withdrawn from said receiving recess of said bit means. 
     
     
       20. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 18 further including switch means mounted on said assembly so as to be responsively actuated by a terminal having been inserted to said predetermined depth within the receiving recess of said bit means. 
     
     
       21. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly adapted for use as an interchangeable part of a composite wire wrapping device, said assembly comprising: stationary sleeve means having an opening extending through the wall thereof;   bit means mounted within said sleeve means, and including a longitudinally disposed, rotatable cylindrical member adapted to be operably driven, the forward end of said cylindrical member forming a terminal-receiving recess, the length of which is controlled by a bit means base-defining member that is spring-biased and displaceable in the axial direction over at least a predetermined distance within said cylindrical member, said latter member also including a longitudinally extending slot formed in the wall thereof, and positioned to selectively communicate with the opening in said sleeve means, and   releasable locking means, including an actuably displaceable locking member, supported on said sleeve means, said locking member being adapted to have a portion thereof continuously positioned within the opening of said sleeve means, and another portion thereof selectively positioned within the slot of said cylindrical member, to lock the latter to the sleeve means, the actuable displacement of said locking member out of the cylindrical member slot being dependent on, and responsive to, a terminal to be wire wrapped being inserted within the terminal-receiving recess of said cylindrical member to a depth that causes the associated spring-biased, base-defining member to be displaced said predetermined distance.   
     
     
       22. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 21 wherein said bit-means base-defining member comprises an elongated rod-shaped plunger, with a cam portion located therealong to effect the displacement of said locking member out of the slot of said cylindrical member upon said plunger being displaced said predetermined distance. 
     
     
       23. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 22 wherein said locking means further includes spring means associated with said locking member and said sleeve means, said spring means being adapted to cooperate with said plunger to displace said locking member out of engagement with the slot in said cylindrical member, and to maintain said locking member in such a dis-engaged position until a downward force is externally imparted against said locking member sufficient to overcome the then opposed biasing force exerted thereagainst by said spring means, said overcoming force causing said locking member to again be re-positioned in engagement with the slot of said cylindrical member, at which time said spring means produces no displaceable biasing force against said locking member. 
     
     
       24. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 22 wherein said locking means further includes spring means associated with said locking member for urging the latter, after having been displaced out of engagement with said cylindrical member slot by said plunger, back into engagement with said slot each time, and upon said slot being brought into alignment with said sleeve means opening, while said cylindrical member is in a quiescent state. 
     
     
       25. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 22 further including actuable switch means positioned on said sleeve means so as to be responsively actuated by the displacement of said locking member out of the slot of said cylindrical member. 
     
     
       26. A terminal-receiving and wire wrapping assembly in accordance with claim 22 further comprising an adjustable locking member housing secured to the outer wall of said sleeve means, said housing member having a laterally extending boss formed with an aperture adapted to receive and guide the reciprocally displaceable locking member.